Question

Give a pseudocode algorithm for comparing two files to see if their contents are identical.

Short answer

Question: Briefly explain the steps involved in comparing two files to check if their contents are identical. Answer: To compare two files, follow these steps: 1. Check if file sizes are equal; if not, they're not identical. 2. Open both files in read mode to access their content. 3. Initialize a loop to iterate through each character in both files. 4. Read a character from both files and store them in separate variables. 5. Compare the characters; if not equal, conclude that the files are not identical. 6. If the loop ends, check if both files have reached the end; if so, files are identical. 7. Finally, close both files after the comparison process is completed.

Step-by-step solution

Check if the file sizes are equal

First, check the file sizes of both files. If the file sizes are different, conclude that the files are not identical and end the process.

Open both files in read mode

If the file sizes are equal, open both files in read mode to be able to read their content.

Initialize a loop for character comparison

Set up a loop to iterate through the characters in both files. This loop should run until the end of any file is reached.

Read a character from both files

In each iteration of the loop, read a character from both files and store them in separate variables, say 'charFile1' and 'charFile2'

Compare the characters

Compare the characters 'charFile1' and 'charFile2'. If the characters are not equal, conclude that the files are not identical and end the process.

Check if end of files is reached

After the loop ends, check whether both files have reached the end. If so, conclude that the files are identical, as all characters match.

Close both files

Remember to close both files after the comparison process has been completed, irrespective of the result (identical or not identical).